George W. Bush

Under a Bush administration, U.S. international policy would be driven by what George W. Bush calls a "distinctly American internationalism" that focuses on U.S. relations with its traditional European and Asian allies, promotes free trade within a fully democratic Western Hemisphere and avoids U.S. intervention overseas where U.S. interests are not served.

"A president must set priorities, and I'm going to set four priorities -- the goal is peace -- the priorities are going to be: Our own neighborhood, peace in the Middle East ... China and the Far East, and Russia and Europe," Bush said in an interview last year with CNN.

Here are Bush's positions on the four world issues touched on in "The Bigger Picture."

CHINA

Unlike the Clinton administration, Bush does not view China as a "strategic partner." Bush views China as a competitor and says the U.S. should deal with the world's most populated country "without ill-will -- but without illusions." He says a Bush administration would strengthen its relationships with Asian democracies like Japan, Thailand and Australia so that China will exist as a "great power, but in a region of strong democratic alliances. It will be unthreatened, but not unchecked."

Bush supports free trade with China and supported the extension of permanent normal trade relations with China. But he has reaffirmed that he would uphold the U.S. commitment to defend Taiwan should China threaten the island militarily.

INDIA/PAKISTAN

Bush made a bit of news last year when a reporter posed a pop quiz of international leaders and Bush could not name Gen. Pervez Musharraf as the current leader of Pakistan. In his speech detailing his approach to international policy, Bush mentioned that the U.S. must pay more attention to India and establish more trade and investment as it heads toward becoming the world's most populous nation. He added that the U.S.'s relationship with India must not undermine relations with Pakistan.

INTERVENTION

Bush has criticized the Clinton administration for what he calls its lack of a clear vision in international policy. Instead, Bush says that U.S. international policy must be involved in the world but "American internationalism should not mean action without vision, activity without priority, and missions without end -- an approach that squanders American will and drains American energy."

Bush says U.S. policy cannot become random and reactive and that the U.S. military should not be the answer to "every difficult foreign policy situation -- a substitute for strategy." Instead, Bush would concentrate on what he calls the "enduring national interests."

AFRICA

Bush has not made much mention of the African continent. He did not mention Africa in his speech earlier this year outlining his approach to international policy. But during the primary campaign for the GOP nomination, Bush said in an interview with Jim Leherer of PBS that "while Africa may be important, it doesn't fit into the national strategic interests, as far as I can see them." He added that he would not have intervened during the Rwandan crisis in the mid-1990s. But in the same interview, Bush said that Africa fits into the nation's economic interests and that he will promote free trade with the nations on the continent.

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Al Gore

Gore's vision of international policy is called "Forward Engagement." Gore's policy would focus on addressing problems early in their development before they become crises and dealing with them as close to the source of the problem as possible.

Gore says the post-Cold War world is entering a new "Global Age" and the U.S. needs a "New Security Agenda" to deal with issues like terrorism and regional conflicts. Gore also would make health and ecological problems part of his international policy, treating environmental issues like global warming and health issues like the AIDS epidemic as international policy issues.

Here are Gore's positions on the four world issues touched on in "The Bigger Picture."

CHINA

With respect to China, Gore would continue the policy of engaging the world's most populous nation, which has been the favored method of dealing with China ever since President Richard Nixon restored relations with the country. Gore's Web site says U.S. interests are not served by those who would treat China like an enemy. Instead, Gore would emphasize cooperating with China where the U.S. can and would focus on a long-term strategy of encouraging China to become a more open society while working to integrate China into the institutions that promote global norms on proliferation, trade, the environment and human rights.

But Gore also reiterates that a Gore administration will defend Taiwan while supporting the "one China" policy.

INDIA/PAKISTAN

In an address on international affairs, Gore said that the U.S. must work with India and Pakistan to "dampen" the nuclear arms race between the two nations and urge them to deal with the Kashmir situation using peaceful means.

INTERVENTION

Gore leans more toward intervening in global conflicts than Bush. As vice president, he led the arguments to intervene in Bosnia and Kosovo. During the Bosnian conflict, there were occasional media leaks and hints that Vice President Gore was frustrated that President Clinton hesitated for so long before intervening militarily.

Gore's choice of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman -- a sometimes outspoken critic of the Clinton administration's global policy -- was a hint of how things would be different in a Gore administration. Both Gore and Lieberman were among the few Democrats who supported the Gulf War. Lieberman was critical of the Clinton administration's actions in Bosnia, saying the U.S. should have taken military action sooner and he argued that ground forces should have been an option in Kosovo.

"America cannot be the world's policeman, but we must reject the new isolationism that says, 'Don't help anywhere because we cannot help everywhere,'" Gore said in a May 1 speech that outlined his international policy ideas.

AFRICA

On Africa, Gore has not said much either, partly due to the low focus on international policy in the campaign. His Web site does mention the recently enacted African Growth and Opportunity Act as a "major contribution toward the future prosperity of Africa, and this work must continue."

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is part of the Trade and Development Act of 2000. The act provides beneficiary countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the most liberal access to the U.S. market available to any country or region with which the U.S. does not have a Free Trade Agreement. AGOA reinforces African reform efforts, provides improved access to U.S. credit and technical expertise, and establishes a high-level dialogue on trade and investment as part of a U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Forum.

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